


How Patton Became a Dad to Three Supervillains

by RedRosella



Series: The Villains' Dad [1]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Deceit is a jerk even when he's a hero, Found Family, Gen, Mentions of Blood, Minor Injuries, Supervillains
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-06
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-09-12 13:48:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16874025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedRosella/pseuds/RedRosella
Summary: Patton is just a normal medical student who doesn't really concern himself with the superheroes and supervillains around him. Sure, they cause trouble and sometimes make traffic worse, but they're never really that big of a deal.That is, until he finds an injured villain on the ground in front of him, and his life takes a wild turn into supervillainy and black and gray morals, where he gains a new family he never knew he needed until they were there.





	How Patton Became a Dad to Three Supervillains

**Author's Note:**

> So I started this six months ago and never knew how to finish it, and it's been on the backburner ever since.  
> BUT NOW IT'S HERE SO ENJOY!

If there was one thing Patton could never have predicted coming across on one of his nightly walks on the town, it would probably be a talking puppy that would tell him they were going to go on a magical adventure where they would save the world. 

But a close second would be a world renowned supervillain in the middle of the abandoned street in front of him, seconds away from passing out.

And that’s exactly what was happening right before him now.

The supervillain, not the puppy dog.

Although he would probably know how to deal with the puppy dog better than what he actually had to come to terms with right now.

“Um… kiddo?” Patton asked cautiously. He wasn’t exactly sure how to address the cloaked crusader, so he just defaulted to what he always did, not thinking about whether it might offend him or not.

The villain groaned in reply. Patton walked forward slowly, each step  closer letting him see the injuries better. It wasn’t good. The villain’s dark cape and hood were tattered, showing a myriad of lacerations across his body, most likely from landing on the ground, and there were countless bruises littering his skin.

Patton wasn’t sure exactly what had happened- supervillain attacks were so common nowadays that sometimes you could walk by right when one was happening and not notice- but it certainly didn’t look like it ended up well for the man in front of him.

He knew from the dark eyeshadow and cloak that he was Anxiety, one of the most feared villains in the world with the ability to control shadows. No one was quite sure what his goals were, but they didn’t want to find out either. Patton knew vaguely about him, and how he always seemed to be going after his nemesis Deceit with the help of fellow villains, but he had never put much thought into it. It was always just something that happened in the background. Some people could spend their days fearing what may or may not happen, but Patton tried not to be bothered, instead spending his time on the things that were important to him. 

But what was important to him was helping those in need, and right now, this villain needed his help. It didn’t matter what he’d done, or what happened to cause him to be in this state. What mattered was the he was hurt, and Patton could help.

“Kiddo? My name is Patton. I’m a medical student trained in first aid. Can I help you?” Anxiety didn’t respond, which Patton took to mean yes. He looked around. No one was in the area, but he didn’t know how long that would last. Moving the villain would be risky without knowing the extent of his injuries, but staying out here would be even riskier. He didn’t know how others would react to him helping out a known evil-doer, even if it was only because he was severely injured and needed someone’s help. Some people just took things at face value, never looking at the greater context. 

“I’m going to move you kiddo,” Patton warned, even though he knew Anxiety was unconscious. “My apartment is right around the corner.”

He removed the villain’s trademark cloak, hoping that without it people wouldn’t recognize him immediately and he could transport him without issue. He scooped him up, staggering back for a few seconds as he was not expecting him to be so light. It was like he was just skin and bones. 

The trip to his apartment was easy, not many people out during the night when villains were more likely to attack. Thankfully none of his neighbors were all that chatty in his building either, so he was able to slip in unnoticed.

Once Anxiety was placed safely on his coach, with the light of his apartment shining on him, it was clear what exactly had caused him to pass out. 

A gash tore across his back and his arm was twisted at a weird angle, something that would have made Patton cringe if he hadn’t grown desensitized during schooling. And that was besides all the small scratches and bruises littering Anxiety- but he needed to focus on the big injuries before even thinking about that.

The gash needed the most attention, most likely the blood loss being the cause of his unconscious state. By now it had mostly stopped gushing blood, but it still didn’t look good, staining his couch’s upholstery. 

Patton quickly grabbed his first aid kit, snapping on some gloves and cleaning the gash with a washcloth. He then stitched up the wound and bandaged it, making sure that it wasn’t going to start bleeding again. He examined the broken arm, setting it back into place with a crack and putting it in a sling and binder. It wasn’t his best work- he still had some schooling to go- but it didn’t matter. He then went on to the smaller cuts, making sure that they were clean and the larger ones bandaged.

Once he was done, the villain was a collage of bandages, bruises, and blood, but he was safe.

Patton let out a sigh, finally letting himself relax. Almost an hour had passed, time flying as he got caught up in his work. Anxiety would probably be coming to soon, and then he could finally get some sleep. 

Hopefully.

Being a med student didn’t really lend itself to very much rest in the middle of studying, exams, and way too many classes to fit into one schedule.

He stood up, cracking his back and taking a good look at the man in front of him. A small part of him was tempted to take the villain’s mask off, just to see who he was, but he ignored it. That wouldn’t be helpful, and would just be an invasion of privacy. It wasn’t his job to figure out who the villain was, and it was extremely improbable that in a city of hundreds of thousands of people, he’d know who the man behind the mask was.

Instead, he moved to the kitchen, putting on a pot of coffee.

Yeah, he wasn’t getting that sleep tonight, who was he kidding? He’d probably lay in bed thinking about what had happened for hours before his alarm would go off, signaling that he’d missed his chance for any rest.

He thought back to the villain’s emaciated form and frowned, deciding to take some food out of his fridge. He didn’t have much, but he figured he could make a good sandwich and give it to the poor kid. No one deserved to be starved, and villainy probably wasn’t all that profitable if you never won.

He threw a sandwich together, waiting to hear the coffee maker go off when he hurt a small groan come from his living room. Immediately he jumped up, forgetting about the food and rushing to the room, eyes meeting with the confused face of the supervillain. 

They both stared at each other for a few seconds before Patton waved. “Hey kiddo. This is my apartment, you’re safe here. You, uh, were pretty hurt back there, so I brought you back here to patch you up.”

Anxiety frowned at him, looking confused. “What?”

“I’m a medical student. I think you and Deceit were fighting because you do that a lot, and you kind of ended up on the sidewalk in front of me, and I couldn’t just leave you there, so I brought you back here! Do you remember what happened? Do you have a concussion?” Patton didn’t see a bump on his head when looking over him, but it was possible that it was covered by his purple hair, or maybe never left a mark at all.

The villain shook his head, unsure what else to do. Patton could see his hands trembling slightly.

“Oh, good! I also made you a sandwich, if you want it. I noticed you were pretty thin, and it can be harder to heal without proper nutrition.”

Anxiety shook his head. “I think I’m gonna be nauseous.”

“Do you need anything?” Patton stepped closer, causing the villain to flinch back. 

“You… do know who I am, right?” He asked.

“Well, yeah, I doubt there’s anyone in this city that doesn’t.”

“Why- Why did you help me?”

“You were hurt,” Patton said like it was the most simple thing in the world- which to him, it was. “The Hippocratic oath says that you help those in need no matter who they are or what they do. No one deserves to be in pain.”

Anxiety took a shaky breath. 

Patton felt stupid for not thinking that of course a villain waking up in a random person’s house after a huge fight wouldn’t be frightened out of his mind. He wanted to get closer to him, hoping he wasn’t having an anxiety attack, but, well, there was probably a reason he was called Anxiety. Right now he could only help him with words.

“Hey, it’s okay. I promise I’m not going to hurt you or anything. I patched you up. I didn’t look under your mask or anything, and I don’t want anything in return. I just saw someone in need, and I had the ability to help, so I felt it was my job to do something. I’m not doing this for anything.”

The villain looked like he had a thousand thoughts racing in his mind, but after a minute he seemed to calm down cautiously, taking a few deep breaths.

“Are you okay? Can I come closer now? I want to check your bandages now that you’re awake and make sure you didn’t pull your stitches,” Patton asked. Anxiety nodded minutely, so Patton took a few steps closer, positioning himself so that he had a good view of his back. He could see just a little bit of blood seeping through the bandages.

“I’m going to put some more bandages on this cut, alright? I can also get you some pain killers if you want?”

Anxiety shook his head. “I’ve been through worse.”

Patton frowned. “Just because you’ve been through worse doesn’t mean you should have to suffer through pain right now. I’m getting you those pills,” he said firmly. He went to the bathroom, pulling out his extra bandages and the pain medicine, taking a detour to the kitchen to grab his coffee and the sandwich.

“I know you said you weren’t hungry, but you really should eat something with these pills. At least take a few bites? I promise it’s good and I didn’t do anything to it. I’m a college student, I can’t afford to waste food,” he joked. He could hear Anxiety laugh under his breath, causing Patton to smile brightly.

Anxiety took the pills, throwing them back without water and then attacking his sandwich. Patton quickly rebandaged him, trying not to be too invasive now that he had earned the villain’s trust.

As Anxiety finished his sandwich, the room lapsed into a slightly awkward silence, neither party sure what to do now.

“You didn’t see who I was right?” Anxiety finally asked after a period of nothing.

“No. That’s private, I wouldn’t do that to you. It’s not my business who you are. And even if I did, I’d still follow doctor patient confidentiality.”

Anxiety looked at him for a long time, seeming like he was trying to stare deep into his soul. Patton just smiled back.

“Thanks. You’re… one of the few good people left in this city.”

Patton blinked. “Well surely that’s not true. There’s a lot of good people in this city! You just haven’t met them yet! I’ve always found that it’s easy to notice all the bad things that happen, and that distracts you from the day to day good things. Like, every day when I’m walking to school, there’s a lady who is walking her dogs, and she always waves hello to me. She doesn’t have to do that, but she does because she is nice. You may not notice it, but it’s there.”

Anxiety chuckled. “I think you’re one of the most optimistic people I’ve ever met. That kind of stuff is going to get you killed someday. I mean, who just helps a villain off the side of the road for absolutely no reason? I feel like I should be doing something for you in return. This is the calmest I’ve felt in a long time...”

“Well, maybe you can pay it forward? Maybe… try not to hurt as many people during your next acts of villainy? It would give us nurses a bit of a break,” Patton suggested.

Anxiety laughed, a full out boisterous thing that resounded around the apartment. “Tell that to Deceit. He’s the one always managing to fuck things up.”

“Language,” Patton immediately reprimanded.

The villain blinked. “You’re talking to a supervillain.”

“That doesn’t mean you should go around cursing like it’s nothing. No excuse for bad manners.”

“I think I’m way past the point of ‘bad manners’,” Anxiety laughed, cutting himself off in the middle of it awkwardly. “I… should go now. Thanks for helping me out. I still don’t know why you did, but I appreciate it…”

“Are you sure? Moving around too much could reopen some of your wounds,” Patton said worriedly.

“I’ll be fine. I’ve had worse.”

Patton folded his arms. “Oh no, you’re not using the ‘I’ve had worse’ excuse again, mister.” Patton pulled out the dad voice. “You’re going to stay right here for the night, and I won’t hear a word about it. Now get some sleep. You’ll heal better.”

Anxiety looked like the wanted to protest, but one look at Patton’s disappointed dad face and all protest was drained out of him. 

“Alright… but only for tonight.”

And that was that.

Patton went to his bedroom, spent the majority of the night studying, and when the next morning came upon him all too soon, the couch was empty and the villain’s cloak was gone. He smiled softly.

 

\----

 

Patton thought that was the end of it. He was actually certain of it. It was just a random fluke that only happened by completely random chance and would be nigh impossible to encounter again.

That didn’t mean the laws of probability were on Patton’s side, though. Apparently, the world just really liked to throw curve balls at him.

Patton was on his third cup of coffee of that day, pouring over his notes that began to blur slightly as he got lost in thought. It had been almost a month since his encounter with the villain Anxiety, and it had pretty much slipped his mind almost completely, only coming back whenever he caught sight of another news report about him.

He always felt bad seeing the word ‘defeated’ in the headlines, despite knowing that Anxiety was ‘evil’. He just couldn’t shake the idea that maybe Anxiety would end up in the same position as last time, except no one would be there to help him like Patton did. The thought kept him from turning on the news often anymore.

Patton was finally jolted out of his cycle of caffeine and studying by a loud knock on his door, almost causing him to spill his precious concoction over the bane of his existence. 

He kind of wished it did, if only for an excuse not to look at them any more. 

At least whoever was at the door would give him a reason, even if it was just a solicitor. 

He strolled over to the door, slowly opening it- and nearly had a heart attack at the sight that greeted him.

There was Anxiety, looking normal and unharmed, but leaning on his shoulder in pain was The Fallen Prince.

“Hey, uh, I didn’t think I’d ever come back to you again, but Princey here needs help, and you’re the only one I could think of.

“I’m fine, Virgil,” Princey moaned.

Anxiety made a quick choking noise, like he was abruptly gasping on air and then cutting himself off. “Obviously you’re not if you’re forgetting our secret identities,” he hissed out.

Patton blinked. He ran through a list of the names of people he’s met before, but there wasn’t a single Virgil on it. Guess it was good to know he’d never met the villain in real life before, and wasn’t just making a fool of himself by not recognizing him under a flimsy mask. 

“It’s okay kiddo, I don’t care about your name,” he reassured quickly. “But what happened to him?” He motioned them inside, checking outside the door to make sure no one else was around before closing it.

“Anxiety and Deceit were fighting, and I was there valiantly in the background trying to minimize the damage.” Princey lifted a hand in what Patton assumed was supposed to be a regal gesture.

“He means that he was trying to save some reporter who wouldn’t get off the street, and when he tried to get her out of there, she ended up punching him in the face. I’m pretty sure he has a concussion.”

It was an odd way for a villain to get hurt, but not surprising for The Fallen Prince.

He was one of the most controversial of the villains ‘terrorizing’ the city. Some people were even hesitant to call him a villain, saying he was an anti-hero at worst. 

All anyone really knew about him was that he used to be The Prince, one of the most popular heroes in the city, with the potential to become world renowned one day. He was charismatic, powerful, and absolutely oozing confidence.

But one day he just… snapped. No one knows exactly what happened to cause it, but he just attacked the other heroes in one of the biggest fights the city had ever seen, and ever since that day he had been cast out as the villain, earning the ‘Fallen’ in Fallen Prince.

He didn’t show up much, but when he did it was almost always with Anxiety, and he was almost always in the background minimizing the damage as much as possible. He even tried to save as many people in danger as he could, even if they weren’t always appreciative. The smear campaign launched against him as a traitor and a failure towards all of heroism didn’t exactly make him the most popular savior. 

“I’m not sure there’s much I can do for a concussion, kiddo,” Patton said worriedly. “Usually you just have to rest and not do much for a week or two. I can get you some pain pills if you want?”

“What?! I can’t  _ rest _ ! I’m  _ The Prince! _ ”

“A Prince with a concussion.” Patton folded his arms. “Now go get on that couch while I get you some meds. And maybe a sandwich. Do they not feed you enough at the supervillain headquarters?”

“You didn’t tell me this guy was such a dad,” The Fallen Prince whispered to Virgil as he moved over to the couch, although he misjudged just how loud his voice would be with his concussion, letting Patton hear it perfectly.

“Pipe down, Princey. He’s helping you.”

Patton chuckled and grabbed the medicine and sandwich, coming back to Princey snuggled up on the couch, Anxiety sitting on the arm of the sofa next to him.

“I want you to eat that whole thing, and then get some sleep,” Patton ordered.

“Aren’t you not supposed to sleep after a concussion?” Princey asked.

“Only if you can’t walk and talk, and you seem to be doing both of those just fine, kiddo.”

Anxiety snorted. “What is it with you and calling everyone kiddo? 

“When you stop getting hurt so much, I’ll stop calling you kiddos,” Patton shot back smugly. 

“I don’t get hurt  _ that  _ much,” Princey bemoaned. “I haven’t even been here before.”

“Don’t think I don’t see all the stuff happening on the TV. There’s no way you don’t get hurt all the time.”

“All in the name of good, padre.” 

Anxiety facepalmed. “You’re a bad guy, Princey.”

“Only in the eyes of society! A society that hasn’t yet learned to appreciate my greatness. Or, well, it once did, and it will again soon!”

“Geez, I thought you learned a bit of humility since your fall from grace, but apparently you’re just as arrogant as ever.”

“Excuse you, it was not a  _ fall _ , it was a graceful glide at worst!”

“A graceful glide into a trash can,” Anxiety retorted.

“Alright, I’m going to cut you off here, kiddos. No fighting. It’s not good for The Prince’s head,” Patton interrupted.

“Oh, come on that’s such a mouthful. Just call me Roman.”

Virgil threw his hands up. “Do secret identities mean nothing to you?”

“Come on, Virge, he’s harmless! Weren’t you the one going on and on about his ‘perfectness’ back when he saved you? About how he was too good and pure for this world?”

“Shut up,” Anxiety grit out quickly. “Don’t listen to him, he’s clearly concussed and out of his mind.”

Patton giggled. “Alright. And for the record, I really don’t mind. I’d have no one to tell it to even if I did.”

Virgil raised an eyebrow. “I’m sure you have tons of friends or even a partner that’d love to hear about how you met two of the most famous supervillains and didn’t die.”

“No, not really,” Patton said softly. “I don’t have a lot of time to really do anything. Med school is tough. I’m always studying, or going to classes, or managing to help villains on the side of the road,” he added on the extra bit at the end to lighten up the sentence, but it didn’t really seem to work. Virgil was frowning at him, 

“I refuse to believe that. A ball of sunshine like you not being snatched up immediately?”

Patton shrugged. “‘M just busy… Plus the other students don’t really like to be around me much.” He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “We never seem to get anything done.”

“Well…” Virgil looked down at the floor. “If you’d want to be friends with a supervillain-”

“YES!” Patton cut him off, shrinking back sheepishly as he realized how overeager he probably sounded.

Virgil blinked. “Really?” 

“Of course!” He reiterated, a bit more toned down.

“I’d happily be your friend as well, padre,” Roman mumbled, half asleep.

“Aw, thank you, Roman. Now I really should get back to studying. Those books aren’t going to learn themselves, after all! Stay here for as long as you want, and if you need anything my room is down the hall.”

Virgil gave Patton a small smile. “Thanks.”

When Patton finished studying early the next morning, his living room was vacant once again. He smiled.

 

\-------------

 

The very next day, he was awoken to another knock on his door. 

Even after everything that had happened to him, the unexpected course his life had taken, he still could never have predicted who stood in front of him if given a million years.

There was Logan, the leader of the Light Sides, the most feared supervillain group in the world. So feared that he didn’t even need a villain name, although some did prefer to call him Logic. Clear, cold, and calculating, unshaken by any threats.

And he was standing outside of Patton’s apartment door.

Logan cleared his throat, jolting Patton out of his stupor. “Patton Morgan. It has come to my attention that you have been helping out two of the Light’s most influential villains for no cost, and so I wanted to come here to thank you personally, and ask if there was anything I could do to pay you back for what you’ve done?”

“Oh, I don’t want anything! I just did what anyone would have done,” Patton quickly said, waving his hands to emphasize his point.

Logan lifted an eyebrow. “Anyone else would have picked a supervillain off the street, took them home, and gave them first aid, all without calling the police?”

Patton rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Okay, well, maybe not what ANYONE would have done, but it’s what I would do. I just can’t stand the thought of anyone in pain. That’s why I went into nursing.”

Logan nodded. “That is a good segue into what I wanted to talk about, actually. I understand you are currently in medical school, and the current average cost for four years of schooling in nursing is around seventy five thousand dollars. From what Virgil and Roman have said, I believe it is in our best interest to keep you on our good side, and repay you for the work that you have done, and any future endeavours you may encounter. I do not believe those two will be reducing the amount of injuries they incur any time soon.”

Patton stepped back at hearing the large sum of money Logan was just casually throwing out there. “I-I couldn’t accept that. I told Virgil I just wanted to help out, and that I didn’t need anything in return.”

“I know, however we have the funds for it, and I believe that it would be unfair of us to not help out. The Light Sides are dedicated to helping out our fellow villains in need, and even if you are not a villain, you are connected with them now. If you believe in karma, think of this as reparations for your… ‘good’ deeds.”

“I… It would feel wrong accepting money for doing my job.”

Logan furrowed his brow. “That does not make any sense. You get paid for a job. That’s what makes it a job.” 

“I guess you’re right.” Patton rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

“Of course I am. Now, I will be funnelling the money into your bank account over the course of a few months, so that it will not be suspicious. If it is not enough, you are free to contact me and ask for more. I will give you my number, but I am a very busy person, so please do not call it unless it is important.” Logan quickly scribbled a number onto a notepad he seemed to manifest out of nowhere. Patton couldn’t even begin to protest any more, just dumbly taking the phone number. It took a second to actually collect all his thoughts together.

“Oh! I wanted to ask,” Patton started suddenly. “Are you feeding everyone well over on the Light Sides? Because Virgil and Roman look very thin. If you aren’t feeding them well, I swear-” Patton didn’t care if he was threatening the world’s most feared villain, he wasn’t about to let those boys go hungry, especially if they had enough money to pay Patton.

“I assure you that we do not let any of our villains go hungry, Patton. Virgil is simply thin by nature, and Roman works out a lot, so he sheds a lot of fat for muscle.”

“What about you?”

Logan looked taken aback. “What?”

“Why are you so thin? I have half a mind to go to my kitchen and make you a sandwich right now” Patton shot back, giving him an intense look over.

“I am in the normal weight range for my height. I am eating a perfectly normal amount. I may miss some meals because I am absorbed in my work sometimes, but never enough to hurt my health.”

“Are you sure? I could make you a sandwich right now- It’s no big deal. I’ve got plenty of food.”

“I am sure. I am a very busy man-”

“Never busy enough to starve,” Patton input.

“I have very important villain things to get to-”

“Villainy can wait for a few minutes. Even evil overlords can take a break.”

Logan sighed. “If I take a sandwich, will you stop bothering me about this?

“Yes! Come on in.” Patton turned around, waving a hand over his shoulder to get Logan to come in after him.

He was followed into the kitchen where he began to make his signature sandwich, sneaking some pastries onto the plate. He made sure it was one of his good ceramic plates so that Logan couldn’t leave with it and then throw it away once he left Patton’s sight.

“Here you go! I added some of my signature brownies, too. Always good for a small treat with lunch!”

Logan raised an eyebrow, taking the plate from him. “You are one peculiar person, Patton Morgan. I’ve never met someone who would invite any stranger into their home, let alone a supervillain.”

Patton chuckled. “Virgil said the same thing. I just really can’t stand the thought of someone being hurt…”

“Is there a reason why?”

“I don’t know.” Patton shrugged. “I guess it’s just who I am. My parents raised me to never be idle when there is someone in need, and I’m just trying to keep their spirit alive!”

Logan scratched his chin, saying, “Are you sure you don’t have a superpower, Patton? Maybe one that allows people around you to feel calmer? Something that makes you more empathetic than the general public?”

“Just the power of friendship!”

Logan adjusted his glasses. “May I try something?”

“I guess?” Patton tilted his head curiously.

Logan stood up placed a hand on his shoulder, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. Patton felt a wash of power running over him, like it was alighting every one of his nerves, but in a pleasant way. Like a wave of calm coming over him and everywhere around him. All the tension he didn’t know he was carrying seemed to fade away, leaving him with a feeling of utter contentment and calm.

Logan smirked smugly. Patton could see the tension leaking out of him as well, although there was still a bit of it carried in his shoulders. 

“It seems I was correct. You have the power to give off a calming energy and allow those around you to relax. It is why I am here talking to you rather than getting back to my work. You allow people to let their guard down. It’s most likely why Virgil said your fellow medical students don’t want to hang around you that much. You make them too calm, and then they forget about their studies. No offense.”

Patton decided to ignore his ponderings, instead looking down at his hands, wiggling his fingers like they held the key to what happened. “What did you do?”

“I have the power to amplify the superpowers of those around me. I simply amplified the latent energy you give off, and allowed it to become more prominent. Don’t worry, it only lasts until I leave, which I should be doing about now.”

“But you haven’t finished your fo-” Patton cut himself off at the sight of Logan’s empty plate. “When did you do that?”

“I am a fast eater,” Logan explained, dabbing the corner of his mouth with a napkin. He began to walk to the door. “It was nice talking to you, Patton. I enjoyed the calm you gave me. And thank you for your help, really. Virgil and Roman are close friends of mine, and what you did for them means a lot to me, even outside of a business standpoint. Not many would do what you did for them. I can tell you care for them, and from what they’ve told me they really like you as well. I’m sure you can expect many more visits from them in the future.”

“Can I expect more from you?”

Logan chuckled. “Maybe. I’m a very busy man.”

“Well, if you’re ever free, please come back any time. I may be at school, but if I’m not I’d be happy to give you some more food and a chat.”

The villain nodded. “Goodbye, Patton,” he said, leaving quickly. 

Patton grinned from ear to ear..

In just one month he had gained three new friends, and it was a great feeling. It didn’t matter that they were villains. They were his friends.

And apparently, he also had powers. He always had an inkling that maybe he did- about ten percent of the population had one in some way- but he could never be certain. Now that he knew about it, it didn’t change much, but it did explain some things.

He closed the door, feeling happier than he had ever been before. He may have had to go back to studying, but at least it’d be with this wonderful calm washing over him.

Patton smiled.

 

\--------------

 

Supervillains knocking on his door became a regular thing after that.

Every once in a while Patton would see another news report on TV, and like clockwork he could expect a knock on his door, signaling that either Virgil, Roman, or both were back for more care.

“What happened this time?” Patton asked in lieu of a greeting, seeing only Virgil standing outside this time.

“Tried to rob a bank. Deceit swooped in. The usual.”

Patton sighed good naturedly. “Alright, kiddo, let’s get you patched up.” He motioned him over to the couch, Virgil coming over and pulling up his shirt to show off his bruised ribs. 

Patton pulled out the bandages, already having the first aid kit set out on the table beside him. The cashier at the pharmacy had started to look at him oddly for just how many medical supplies he’d had to buy recently.

There was silence for a few minutes, and then finally Patton broke the silence with a question that had been bugging him a lot recently.

“Why do you keep doing the same thing over and over again if you’re never successful?”

Virgil sighed. “I’m not trying to be successful.”

“Then what are you trying to do?”

“...If I don’t go out and do an eye-catching crime that Deceit can fight against, he’s going to get bored. And when he gets bored, he starts to go after petty criminals. And he has superpowers, and they don’t. They get hurt really badly, and people will praise Deceit endlessly despite the fact he just used so much more force then necessary. It’s better this way.”

Patton stopped in the middle of bandaging his chest up. “So… you become the punching bag for him?” He felt anger boiling up inside of him.

No one deserved that. No one should have to sacrifice themself to prevent others from getting hurt. Even if those people were criminals, they didn’t deserve any of that. And even if Virgil was a supervillain, he shouldn’t have to go through it. 

The more Patton learned about Deceit, the less he liked him. It may be coming from a biased source, but from the time he spent with Virgil a lot of things had been put into perspective. The people society cast as villains were rarely ever so black and white, and the heroes might not always be how the media portrays them. All of Virgil’s tales of the hero cast a very different story than the media told, and it was always jarring for him to hear about. He didn’t doubt the validity of it, though.

“...I was one of those people, you know,” Virgil started, shocking Patton out of his thoughts. “When I was young, everyone thought that with my shadow powers my only destiny was to become a supervillain… I couldn’t get accepted into any colleges, no one would hire me, and the only thing I could do was try and steal to survive. Deceit caught me one day trying to steal some food, and then I was black and blue all over. The only mercy is that he never calls the police. He always just assumes he can be judge, jury, and executioner, and doesn’t need anyone else to deal with criminals. 

“After that, I decided to just… give in. If the world only saw me as a villain, then that’s what I was going to be. I’d fight against Deceit, even if it just confirmed what society already thought I’d be. It’s almost funny how society can make you what it fears…” Tears gathered in the corners on his eyes. Patton’s heart broke.

He placed his hands on both sides of his friends face, making sure he was looking him directly in the eyes when he said, “Virgil, I don’t think you’re a villain.”

Virgil looked taken aback, and if Patton wasn’t holding him there tightly he may have flinched back a little. “What?”

“You’re not a villain, Virgil, no matter what anyone else says. I knew that when I first saw you, and I know that now. You may not always do the right thing, but honestly who does? You never hurt anyone when you commit any crimes, it’s always just going for Deceit. You always have Roman in the background making sure nothing happens to anyone, and you always make sure none of your plans actually succeed! You just use them to get Deceit there. When we first met you said I was one of the few good people left in this city. But you know what, Virgil? You are too.”

Virgil blinked away a few tears. “I… I don’t believe you.”

“It’s okay if you don’t believe me, Virgil. I’ll believe hard enough for the two of us. And I’ll believe hard enough for Roman too.”

Virgil laughed wetly. “Roman doesn’t need any help believing he’s good. He’s certain the rest of the world is wrong, and he’s only doing what’s right.”

“And do you believe him?”

“Of course. I’m the one that asked him to ‘come to the dark side’. Or, well, the Light Side.”

“Why’d you do that?”

Virgil sighed. “Princey… He feels responsible for every single person hurt when he was a superhero, and being in the Light Sides seemed like the best bet for him to repay what he felt he had done. From what he’s told me, being part of the League of Heroes is extremely strict. You have to meet a certain standard, and follow the rules exactly, or else you risk exile. One of those rules what that the villain always comes first. If you can defeat the villain, you do so, even at the expense of civilians around you.

“Roman tried to protest, but it was impossible to make them change, even as one of their biggest superheroes. One day Deceit and I were fighting, and instead of helping him, he tried to help all the civilians. Deceit was mad at him for this, and they began to fight in what everyone now knows as biggest superhero clashes of the century. People say that Deceit won that fight, that he bested the ‘corrupted superhero’ and saved the day, but I think Roman really won that day. He was cast out as a villain, but he had finally found something he could be happy with.”

Patton let out a sympathetic sound. “I never knew that… No one ever got the full story of what happened that day.” He paused. “Does Logan…?” He trailed off, letting the silence speak for him.

“Logan is pretty much the opposite of me. He grew up having everyone around him certain he’d be a superhero. I mean, the ability to amplify others’ powers? Unheard of- and extremely useful. He didn’t want that. He once told me his dream was actually to become a scientist. But no one would let him. The Light Sides was the only place he felt like no one expected him to be a hero. He ended up getting pretty much adopted by the old head of the Light Sides, and worked his way up to the top on his own merits.”

“Do they… mind? That you’re telling me this? Is it too personal?”

“Oh, no, they don’t. They’ve both told their stories many times to whoever will listen. The regular public just doesn’t want to hear it. They just want to see things in black and white,” Virgil spat out bitterly.

“Oh, I don’t think they just want that. People understand nuance. But… I know you live in a world of superheroes and supervillains, but most of us don’t. We’re more concerned with going to work, meeting up with friends, those kinds of things. Attacks on the city are just expected at this point. And most people have decided that it’s futile to try and keep up with it, when there are much more important things to them.”

“But they’re the ones that will immediately condemn someone without looking at the facts!” Virgil shouted.

“Maybe that’s true, but look at it this way. I used to be one of those people. People can change, Virgil. You just have to give them a reason to.”

Virgil’s eyes shined with understanding and appreciation. He leaned in, letting his head rest against Patton’s. “Thank you, Dad.”

Patton didn’t think his heart could be repaired so soon after the stories Virgil told him about his friends, but hearing that word… hearing Virgil call him Dad, it made everything worth it. It made all the medical supplies, the heartache, the fear of something going terribly wrong one day- it was all worth it to have these friends that he could count on, and that knew they could count on him.

They stayed that way for a good long while, until eventually Virgil needed to get back to the headquarters so neither Logan nor Roman freaked out. 

As he left, Patton smiled.

 

\-------------

 

The next time Logan came around, it was when Roman and Virgil were already there. No, they weren’t hurt that time. They only had a few bumps and bruises. They just wanted to use them as an excuse to talk.

“I swear to god, Deceit is going to be the death of me. He’s been upping his game, trying to keep my exhausted. I’ve barely had any time to plan any elaborate acts of villainy,” Virgil complained.

“What’s the point if you aren’t aiming to succeed?” Patton pointed out.

“It’s about getting attention. You said it yourself, no one cares anymore. We need to make them care!” Roman houted in his typical over the top fashion.

Patton didn’t really understand, but he wasn’t about to argue. 

Suddenly the door opened without even a knock, and there was Logan, looking prim and proper as always.

“Logan!” Patton gasped. “You’re here!” The bespeckled supervillain almost never came around, always too busy doing this or that around the city to stop by for a chat.

“What are you doing here, specs?” Roman asked.

“I need to talk to Patton regarding our arrangements here. Someone caught on to the fact that we now have a healer,” Logan cut to the chase.

“What?” Patton blinked.

“A nosy reporter has noticed that Anxiety and Prince have been healing fast now, and surmised that they acquired someone to heal them. They posited that it was someone with healing powers, so that is incorrect, but they did get the general idea correct. They even suggested the name ‘Morality’ for you, as there has been debate over whether or not it is moral to heal supervillains or not.”

“What? How have I not heard this?” Virgil said, standing up in shock.

“It only just hit the papers recently, although some of the rumors have been around for a little while. It is not a problem right now, but I thought you would want to be aware of the situation.” 

“Not a problem? That’s a  _ huge _ problem!” Roman lamented. “He’s a target! We’ve put him at risk!”

Patton placed a hand on the royal’s shoulder. “Oh, I’ll be fine, kiddo. It’s no big deal. I don’t mind people calling me a villain if it helps you.”

“Padre, you are the farthest thing from a villain in the world! This is libel! Character defamation! We need to sue!” Roman slammed his hands down on the table.

Logan deadpanned. “I highly doubt we could sue them as world renowned criminals. Furthermore, they are not incorrect in Patton being your healer.”

“Yes, but- he’s not a  _ villain _ !” Roman gestured wildy. 

“In abetting known criminals and not turning them in, Patton is technically breaking the law, and thus is a villain. You could invoke Good Samaritan Laws here in saying that he is only healing us, but the fact that he knows who we are and has not turned us in to the police does make him a criminal as well.”

Patton shrunk back. He didn’t mind his friends being villains, but… actually being a villain himself? Not just being called one? It didn’t sit right with him. He was a medical student, he had a job to do no harm.

Virgil noticed Patton’s flinch and glared at the bespectacled villain. “Logan!” He yelled.  

“I’m just stating the facts, Virgil. Patton needs to know what he has gotten himself into.”

“Gotten himself- We are not something to ‘get into’. We’re friends!” Virgil countered.

“Friends who are supervillains.”

“Are you trying to turn away the only friend we’ve made in years?” Virgil shouted.

“I’m simply concerned for him. I do not want him to get into trouble because of us. This is aiding and abetting in a crime.  _ Multiple _ crimes,” Logan clarified.

“So what? Do you just want him to leave us?” Roman asked. 

“That is a logical fallacy. You are twisting my words. I’m just stating the facts here.”

“Please stop fighting,” Patton spoke up, but his voice was drowned out by the argument and went unheard.

The verbal argument went on for a solid minute more, until finally Patton couldn’t take it anymore. Their yelling was too loud. He could barely hear his own thoughts over it. He already didn’t know what to think or how to feel, and this was just making it a thousand times worse.

Patton forced his hands out instinctively, causing everyone in the room to freeze. Then, they dropped to the floor.

He gasped. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry- Oh God what did I do?”

“Patton- Patton! We’re okay.” Logan had propped himself up on a hand, holding one out in a motion for Patton to stop, sensing immediately that he needed to assure him they were fine. “Our fighting must have forced all the calming energy out of you, and into the environment. It’s okay.” Logan tottered to his feet, bracing himself on the couch. Roman and Virgil followed slowly after him.

“I don’t think my muscles have ever been this relaxed,” Roman commented. He held up arm up like he was trying to flex it, but nothing happened. 

“Patton… You have superpowers?” Virgil gasped.

“Uh… Logan says I do, but…” Patton stumbled, not knowing how to phrase it. 

“Yes, he does. He has the power to make those around him calm because of his presence. It is a latent ability, so he does not have to be aware of it, and thus only became aware when I informed him.”

Virgil’s eyes widened. “That’s why I didn’t run away when I first met you! That’s why Roman told you our names!”

“I’m sorry kiddo, I didn’t know,” Patton quickly said, assuming that he was accusing him.

“No, no, I’m glad you did,” Virgil assuaged. “I… I don’t know where I’d be if I hadn’t stayed here and gotten to know you.” He offered a shy smile.

Patton frowned, an awful thought coming to mind. “So… Does that mean that you are only here because I make you feel calm?”

“Definitely not!” Roman butt in. “We are here because we enjoy your company and your caring nature. We’re here because we’re your friends. But even if we were only here because you make us calm, then we’d still be here for you. Your powers are a part of you, Patton. They  _ are  _ you. Take it from someone who struggled with accepting his powers for a long time.”

“I… It’s just a lot to take in,” Patton said, steadying himself on a couch leg. “Logan told me it was just a power I couldn’t control, but now I apparently can control it? And it hurt you?” He ran a hand through his hair. “I just… What if I really am a villain?”

“Patton, you are the farthest thing from a villain. I know we’ve all embraced the villain label, but that’s not you. No one else can label you except for you. Not the world, not your friends, not your family. Just you,” Virgil said, grabbing Patton’s hands. 

“You… you think so?”

“I know so.” Virgil brought his hand up, wiping the beginnings of tears from Patton’s eyes.

“Society has many labels that it ignorantly applies to people. These views are typically dangerously vague and contain no nuance, thus making them ineffectual and completely arbitrary. I am sorry if I implied that you were a villain, Patton,” Logan spoke up. Roman glared at him from the corner of his eye.

“It’s okay Logan, I know what you meant.” Patton took a deep breath. “I still don’t know how to feel about this, but… you’re all my friends. I wouldn’t give you up even if the world thought I was the worst person on the entire planet for being with you.”

And maybe when this had first begun, Patton wouldn’t have felt the same way. Maybe he would have run away at even the idea of becoming something close to a villain. Now though, here with his friends, he couldn’t think of it being any other way.

And hey, if the world wanted to think of him as a villain, Patton decided that he didn’t care. Not with his friends by his side.

The villains all smiled. Soft, and slightly fearful, but hopeful for the future ahead of them. Patton smiled as well, large and proud and unafraid- ready to take on the world for his family.

 


End file.
